Hey Hobart wake up and smell the tacos! Or rather, atención por favor! Street food has arrived in Hobart. It’s Mexican/South-West inspired fare.
And it’s gooooooood!
Every cloud might just have a silver lining, or at least a couple of tacos, because this Girl was waylaid at work last Thursday night. I was heading home after 7pm wondering if I'd get to Hill Street Grocers in time to buy basil for my dinner's pesto, when I was suddenly distracted by a group of grungy groovy young people surrounding a food van.
Screech goes the brakes.
It’s Taco Taco and they’re only five nights old. Shucks! A bouncing baby taco truck in the Godfreys, Elizabeth Street carpark.
Meet Matt and Chris. Matt has been a chef for 15 years and Chris has been in hospitality about 10, mainly as a barista but he tells me that getting roped into the kitchen has been a theme in his career.
Matt’s inspiration is New York street food and he comes with three years experience working hospitality in Europe, mostly France. Oh la la. So this Girl isn’t quite sure how that mix translated to Mex but who gives a toss, the tacos are to the max.
Dang, that was cheesy.
Matt and Chris are mates and they’ve got a pretty smooth operation going on in the back of the truck Matt’s dad decked out.
They have a great food ethos that this Girl can’t get enough of. Check this out:
- They use local wherever possible.
- The meat is free-range.
- There’s a vego option.
- They make practically everything themselves. Although Mat laments to me that they aren’t making their own cheese yet; just their sour cream.
Show off
What this Girl ate:
- Black bean with white slaw, goat feta and crispy quinoa taco and
- Achiote chicken with ancho chilli, tomato salsa and smoked paprika mayo.
It’s all gluten free and the tacos are mealy corn and loaded up with their fillings. If you’re unfamiliar with the cuisine you’re in for a great adventure because they bring together a lovely amount of spice with citrus, sharp cheese and fruits.
And tacos cost $5 each. It’s pretty simple really, just $5. Unless you want two, then it’s $9. Two was enough for this Girl for dinner but if you wanted a bit more you could go corn on the cob with chipotle mayo.
They believe in good food that is accessible: affordable and low key. These boys are not into airs and graces. Matt reckons he’s not much into silver service but he wants everyone to be able to enjoy a quality product and quality produce.
At the moment you’ll find them on private property they’ve negotiated to use. They post on Facebook where you can find them each night they do their thing and on at Where the truck at You can find out great street food locations in other cities at this site too.
But did you know even street food is political? These guys are drafting a proposal to Hobart City Council to get permission to sell street food on public streets in Hobart. For years this Girl has heard various people, Aldermen included, wax lyrical about opening up the CBD and encouraging life into the city.
From a loudspeaker – THIS IS HOW YOU START IT!!!
How much more exciting would Hobart be if it had a vibrant centre after close of business. This needs to start with food: a reason for people to come into town, or stay in town a bit longer.
Why not encourage inner city revitalisation by supporting a great couple of dudes with the tastiest cheapest, and dare I say, healthiest (but don’t hold it against them, it’s just good) takeaway around. Come on HCC you can do it!
Don't forget, locations and times vary each night they're open and they do sell out. They're doing renos to the truck tonight but they'll be back in the biz tomorrow so check their location at Taco Taco Tas on facebook by clicking on this link.
And get out there and support them!
If you like this food you might also like:
Crumb Street Kitchen and
MYU Easy Bites
And get out there and support them!
If you like this food you might also like:
Crumb Street Kitchen and
MYU Easy Bites
